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Thursday, 5 February 2015

Have a Healthy Heart... Eat Oats Everyday!

A Bowl of oats for breakfast and an oat-flour roll at lunch
is enough to cut the risk of a heart attack!

Experts say following such a diet can reduce harmful
cholesterol levels by almost 20 per cent.

Research reveals that oats contain a life-saving compound
called beta-glucan, just three grams of which a day can keep the heart surgeons
away.

A bowl of muesli contains 1.5g of beta-glucan, an oat
biscuit 0.75g, a bowl
of porridge1.75g, a two-biscuit oat cereal 1.75g, and a slice of oat-flour
bread, 0.75g.

So persuasive is the evidence of 21 studies over the past 18
years, that nutritionists are calling on food manufacturers to develop more
oat-based products to give consumers a wider choice of health-benefiting foods.

One bowl of an oat-based breakfast cereal and a sandwich
made from oat-flour bread would reach the recommended daily level of
beta-glucan.

Fifteen of the studies found regular consumption of oats cut
total cholesterol levels among the 1,450 volunteers.

In 13 studies, cholesterol levels were reduced
“significantly” by up to 17 per cent. Three reported big reductions
in harmful low-density lipoproteins and several found eating oats regularly
boosted “good cholesterol”.

Oats are more likely to be eaten in their wholegrain state,
which maximises nutrient levels.

Dr Ruxton said: “Everyone knows that porridge oats are a
healthy food but what this review shows is that a wide range of
oat-containing products, such as breakfast cereals, bread, cereal bars and
oatcakes, have the capacity to help lower blood cholesterol.”